Bobbin holder



1 966 R. K. WHlTEHEAD, sR.. ETAL 3,265,322

BOBBIN HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1. 1963 m m m m mam: RD k. WHITE/[AD SR.

1011A RD K WHITEHEAD JR ATTORNEYS Aug. 9, 1966 R. K. WHITEHEAD, sR.. ETAL 3,265,322

Filed Nov. 1. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 w 8 1% 4H s wW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,265,322 BGBBIN HULDER Richagd K. Whitehead, Sn, De Kalb County, Ga. (1631 N. Gatewood Road, NE, Atlanta, Ga.), and Richard K. Whitehead, Jr., 1365 Monroe Drive, NE, Atlanta, Ga.

Filed Nov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,677 11 Claims. (61. 242-1302) This invention relates to suspension type bobbin holders and more particularly to a suspension type bobbin holder for releasably and rotatably suspending a bobbin with thread, sliver, or roving from the creel board or creel rail of a spinning machine or the like.

A variety of bobbin holders have long been used in the textile industry, and as the textile industry has become more and more mechanized, these previous bobbin holders have generally provided for the holding and releasing of bobbins in response to manual manipulation of a bobbin as it is placed upon or removed from the bobbin holder. This feature permits bobbins to be quickly and efiiciently placed upon the bobbin holders and removed from the bobbin holders in a manner consistent with the highly mechanized state of the textile industry.

A major problem with these previous bobbin holders has been that of providing for the holding or releasing of a bobbin by the bobbin holder in response to bobbin motion at minimum cost and without the sacrifice of ruggedness and durability in construction. A bobbin holder must be capable of holding and releasing bobbins many thousands of times and at the same time it must be economical and inexpensive to manufacture since bobbin holders are required by the thousands in the textile industry.

The bobbin holder disclosed herein fully meets these and other requirements for a bobbin holder. It is a bobbin holder having the customary bullet shaped outer shell and a rotating member which is alternately locked in a bobbin holding position and in a bobbin releasing position in response to the slidable motion of a bobbin along the outer shell. When the rotating member is in the bobbin holding position it extends outwardly from the outer shell into the recess within a bobbin and when the rotating member is in the bobbin releasing position, the rotating member is retracted within the outer shell.

As a bobbin is slidably moved upward along the outer shell of the bobbin holder, the upper edge of the bobbin engages a collar encircling the outer shell of the bobbin holder and operatively connected to a block within the outer shell of the bobbin holder. As the bobbin moves downward, the block is urged downward within the outer shell of the bobbin holder by a spring and the result of this arrangement is that each time a bobbin moves upward and downward along the outer shell of the bobbin holder, the block moves upward and downward within the outer shell of the bobbin holder.

A pair of prongs are operatively connected to the block and serve to place and lock the rotating member alternately in a bobbin holding and in a bobbin releasing position as the block moves upward and downward within the outer shell. The upward motion of a bobbin along the outer shell of the bobbin holder also causes upward motion of the bobbin holder as a whole, and the bobbin holder disclosed herein has a suspension assembly which absorbs the upward motion of the bobbin holder while at the same time providing for the smooth rotation of the bobbin holder about its centerline. Moreover, the bobbin holder disclosed herein has a minimum of moving parts so as to be relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture and durable and longlasting in use. In addition, the bobbin holder disclosed herein is responsive to a simple and easily learned motion on the part of the operator of a machine and a bobbin is positively locked in position ice on the bobbin holder or released from the bobbin holder.

These and other features and advantages of the bobbin holder disclosed herein will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bobbin holder with the outer shell and bollair in section so as to clearly show the block, the spring, the rotating member, and the prongs within the outer shell.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of the suspension assembly of the bobbin holder.

FIG. 3 is a section View of the lower end of the bobbin holder showing the positions of the prongs and the ratchet plate when the rotating member is locked in a bobbin releasing position.

FIG. 4 is a section view of the lower end of the bobbin holder showing the manner in which the prongs rotate the ratchet plate on the rotating member as the collar and the block are moved upward by a bobbin being positioned on the bobbin holder.

FIG. 5 is a section view of the lower end of the bobbin holder showing the positions of the prongs, the ratchet plate, and the no-ta-t-ing member after the collar and block are moved upward by the bobbin being positioned on the bobbin holder.

FIG. 6 is a section view of the lower end of the bobbin holder showing the positions of the prongs, the ratchet plate, and the rotating member after the collar and block move downward with a bobbin being positioned on the bobbin holder.

FIG. 7 is a section view of the lower end of the bobbin holder showing the manner in which the prongs rotate the ratchet plate and the rotating member as the collar and block are rnoved upward by a bobbin being removed from the bobbin holder.

These figures and the following detailed description disclose a preferred specific embodiment of the invention but the invention is not limited to the details disclosed herein since it may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

The bobbin holder disclosed herein is best understood as comprising an outer shell '15, a block 16 slidably movable within the outer shell 15 in response to motion of a bobbin 17 along the outer shell 15, an actuating member 18 operably connected to and movable with the block 16 within the outer shell 15, and a rotating member 19 rotated and locked in position by the actuating member 18 so that it is alternately in a bobbin holding position or a bobbin releasing posit-ion. The outer shell 15 is tubular and has an upper cavity 21 continuous with a lower cavity 22. An elongated right aperture 23 and an elongated left aperture 24 extend from the lower cavity 22 through diametrically opposite sides of the outer shell 15. Similarly, a right slot 25 and a left slot 26 extend from the upper cavity 21 through diametrically opposite sides of the outer shell 15. The line of center of the aperture 23 is in the same plane with the slot 25 and the line of center of the aperture 24 is in the same plane as the slot 26.

The block 16 is slidably positioned within the upper cavity 21 of the outer shell 15 and has a right tab 28 extending through the right slot 25 and a left tab 29 extending through the left slot 26. The tabs 28 and 29 are positioned in a plane of reference substantially parallel to the centerline of the outer shell 15, and a pin 30 is integral with and extends from the block 16 with the centerl-ine of the pin 30 being substantially perpendicular to the plane of reference in which the tabs 28 and 29 are positioned.

A collar 33 encloses the outer shell 15 and is slidably movable along the length of the outer shell 15. The collar 33 has a right recess 34 into which the right tab 28 extends and a left recess into which the left tab 29 extends. The result of this arrangement is that slidable motion of the collar 33 along the length of the outer shell 15 causes a corresponding slidable motion of the block 16 within the upper cavity 21.

A spring 36 is positioned within the upper cavity 21 between the block 16 and the upper end 37 of the upper cavity 21. The spring 36 resists upward motion of the block '16 within the upper cavity 21 and urges the block 16 downward within the upper cavity 21 after the spring 36 has been compressed by upward motion of the block 16. Thus, upward motion of the collar 33 along the length of the outer shell 15 causes the spring 36 to be compressed and following the upward motion of the collar 33, the collar 33 and the block 16 tend to move downward under the influence of the spring 36.

The rotating member 19 is positioned within the lower cavity 22 of the outer shell '15 and comprises a central disc 39, an axle 40 extending through the central disc 39 and having its ends in recesses (not shown) in opposite walls of the lower cavity 22, a right catch finger 41 extending fro-m the central disc 39, and a left catch finger 42 extending diametrically opposite the right catch finger 41 from the central disc 39. The centerline of the axle 40 is substantially parallel to the centerline of the pin 30, and the rotating member 19 is rotatable within the lower cavity 21 about the centerline of the axle 40. As seen in FIG. 1, the catch fingers 41 and 42 extend through the apertures 23 and 24 so that a line joining the tips 43 and 44 of the catch fingers 41 and 42 is substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the outer shell 15. The apertures 23 and 24 are sufficiently long to permit the catch fingers 41 and 42 to move into and out of the outer shell 15 as the rotating member 19 rotates between a position in which the catch fingers 41 and 42 are extending through the apertures 23 and 24 and a position in which a line joining the tips 43 and 44 of the catch fingers 41 and 42 is parallel to the centerline of the outer shell 15.

A ratchet plate 45 is concentric about that end of the axle 40 extending from the rotating member 19 in the same direction as the pin 30. The ratchet plate 45 is integral with the central disc 39 and rotates with the central disc 39 about the centerline of the axle 40. The four sides 46, 47, 48 and 49 of the ratchet plate 45 extend upward from the central disc 39 parallel to the centerline of the axle 40 and each side 46, 47, 48 and 49 has a nub 50 extending from it at one end so as to place a nub 50 at each corner of the ratchet plate 45.

The actuating member 18 comprises a loop 52, a right prong 53, and a left prong 54. The loop 52 encircles the pin 30 and the right prong 53 extends within the outer shell 15 from the loop 52 toward the lower end of the outer shell 15 substantially parallel and adjacent to the centerline of the outer shell 15, thence outwardly toward the right aperture 23, and thence toward the lower end of the outer shell 15 substantially parallel to the centerline of the outer shell 15 so as to pass immediately adjacent to a side 46, 47, 48, or 49 of the ratchet plate 45. Similarly, the left prong 54 extends within the outer shell 15 from the loop 52 substantially parallel to the right prong 53, thence outwardly in the opposite direction from the right prong 53, and thence substantially parallel to the right prong 53 toward the lower end of the outer shell 15 so as to pass immediately adjacent to a side 46, 47, 48 or 49 of the ratchet plate 45 opposite that to which the right prong 53 is adjacent. The actuating member 18 is formed of a resilient material such as spring wire of known type and the result is that the right prong 53 and the left prong 54 to tend to move toward each other and to exert an inward force on opposite sides 46 and 48 or 47 and 49 of the ratchet plate 45.

The lowermost end of the right prong 53 is formed into a hook 55 extending toward the left prong 54 and the right prong 53 is shorter in length than the left prong 54 'by an amount substantially equal to the width of the ratchet plate 45. A right lug 56 extends from the wall of the lower cavity 22 toward the right prong 53 and a left lug 57 extends from the wall of the lower cavity 22 toward the left prong 54. The particular lengths selected for the prongs 53 and 54, the location of the lugs 56 and 57 within the lower cavity 22 of the outer shell 15, and the location of the nubs 50 on the sides 46, 47, 48 and 49 will be understood when the operation of the bobbin holder is described below.

FIG. 3 shows the actuating member 18 and the ratchet plate when the rotating member 19 is locked in position with a line joining the tips 43 and 44 of the catch fingers 41 and 42 substantially parallel to the centerline of the outer shell 15. When the rotating member 19 is in this position, the block 16 is at the lower end of the cavity 21, the right prong 53 extends along the side 46 of the ratchet plate 45, the left prong 54 extends along a side 48 of the ratchet plate 45, and the lugs 56 and 57 are immediately adjacent to the ends of the prongs 53 and 54 below the ratchet plate 45 so as to prevent the prongs 53 and 54 from moving apart. The result is that the prongs 53 and 54 of the actuating member 18 prevent the ratchet plate 45 and the rotating member 19 from rotating.

When the rotating member 19 is in the position described above, a bobbin 17 is easily slid onto the lower end of the outer shell 15 and moved upward to engage the collar 33. Once a bobbin 17 engages the collar 33, continued upward motion of the bobbin 17 causes the collar 33 and the block 16 to move upward. The upward motion of the block 16 causes the actuating member 18 to move upward and, as the actuating member 18 moves upward, the right prong 53 slides along the side 46 of the ratchet plate 45 and the left prong 54 slides along the side 48 of the ratchet plate 45 until the hook 55 engages the nub extending from the side 47 of the ratchet plate 45.

The engaging of the nub 50 extending from the side 47 of the ratchet plate 45 by the hook causes the ratchet plate 45 to tend to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. The lugs 56 and 57 are positioned within the outer shell 15 so that the upward motion required for the hook 55 to engage the hub 50 removes the prongs 53 and 54 from between the lugs 56 and 57. Thus, the prongs 53 and 54 are free to spread apart and as a result, continued upward motion of the actuating member 18 causes the hook 55 to rotate the ratchet plate 45 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 and the left prong 54 to move outwardly so as to permit this rotation of the ratchet plate 45.

After rotation of the ratchet plate 45 by the hook 55 as described above, the upward motion of the block 16, the collar 33, and a bobbin 17 is checked by the tabs 28 and 29 striking the upward limits of the slots 25 and 26 in the outer shell 15 and the rotating member 19 is in the position shown in FIG. 5 with the catch fingers 41 and 42 extending outwardly from the outer shell 15 into the recess 59 beneath the shoulder 68 of the bobbin 1'7. The rotating member 19 and the ratchet plate 45 are maintained in this position by the resiliency of the actuating member 18 since the left prong 54 extends along the entire length of the side 49 and tends to maintain the side 49 parallel to the left prong 54.

When the bobbin 17 being positioned on the bobbin holder is released by the operator of a machine such as the spinning machine, the bobbin 17 drops downward and is caught by the extending catch fingers 41 and 42. In addition, the spring 36 forces the block 16 and the collar 33 downward. This downward motion of the block 16 causes the actuating member 18 to move downward and as this occurs, the hook 55 slides downward along the side 47 of the ratchet plate 45 and the left prong 54 slides downward against the side 49 of the ratchet plate 45. The block 16 and the actuating member 18 continue to move downward until the downward motion of the block 16 is checked by the tabs 28 and 29 striking the lower limits of the slots 25 and 26 and the prongs 53 and 54 are once again between the lugs '56 and 57. With the prongs 53 and '54 between the lugs 56 and 57, the prongs 53 and 54 will not spread and the ratchet plate 45 and the rotating member 19 are fixedly held in the position shown in FIG. -6 with the catch fingers 41 and 42 in the recess 59 beneath the shoulder 60 of a bobbin 17.

When it is subsequently desired to remove the bobbin 17 from the bobbin holder, the bobbin 17 is moved upward along the outer shell so as to force the collar 33 and the block 16 upward. This upward motion of the block 16 causes the corresponding upward motion of the actuating member 18 to once again rotate the ratchet plate 45 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7. This counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet plate 45 will rotate the ratchet plate 45 and the rotating member 19 into the position shown in FIG. 5 and when the bobbin 17 is subsequently removed from the outer shell 15 of the bobbin holder, the spring 36 will force the actuating member 18 into the position shown in FIG. 5 in which the rotating member 19 is locked with the catch fingers 41 and 42 retracted into the outer shell 15 so that the bobbin 17 is easily removed from the outer shell 15 and so that a new bobbin 17 is easily placed. on the outer shell 15 and held in the manner described above.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that each time the block 16 is moved upward within the upper cavity 21 of the outer shell 15 by motion of a bobbin 17 along the outer shell 15, the rotating member 19 is rotated 90 degrees in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the figures so as to be alternately in a position in which the catch fingers 41 and 42 are extended from the outer shell 15 and alternately in a position in which the catch fingers 41 and 42 me retracted into the outer shell 15. The motion required to position a bobbin 17 on the outer shell 15 is identical to the motion required to remove a bobbin 17 from the outer shell 15 and after each motion of a bobbin 17 along the outer shell 15, the rotating member 19 is locked in either the bobbin releasing position or the bobbin holding position. This locking feature of the bobbin holder not only insures that a bobbin 17 will not accidentally slip from the bobbin holder, but it also prevents the inadvertent or accidental shifting of the rotating member 19 between the bobbin holding position and the bobbin releasing position.

It will also be seen from the foregoing description that a bobbin 17 is released from or positioned on the bobbin holder by upward motion of the bobbin 17 and that this results in repeated upward thrusts of the outer shell 15 of the bobbin holder because of the resistance of the spring 36 to the upward motion of the bobbin 17 and because of the checking of the upward motion of the bobbin 17 by the tabs 28 and 29 striking the upper limits of the slots and 26. The suspension assembly of the bobbin holder is particularly suited to withstand such repeated upward motions of the outer shell 15. The suspension assembly of the bobbin holder is best shown in FIG. 2 and has a shaft 61 by which the bobbin holder is suspended in known manner from the creel rail or creel board (not shown) of a spinning or similar machine. The shaft 61 has a button 62 at its lower end and a lower bearing race 63 rests upon the button 62. A plurality of ball bearings 64 of known type are positioned between the lower bearing race 63 and an upper bearing race 65. The upper bearing race 65 has a shoulder 66 formed in its upper surface and the upper end of the outer shell 15 rests on the shoulder 66. Thus, the outer shell 15 is rotatably supported by theupper bearing race 65 and is free to rotate with respect to the lower bearing race 63 and the shaft 61. The dust cover 67 having a channel 68 which permits it to be snapped into position over a ridge 69 near the upper end of the outer shell 15 completes the suspension assembly.

The bearing races 63 and 65 are most conveniently and economically made of known plastic materials which tend to deform when pressure is applied at a point for a sustained period of time. To prevent the roller bearings 64 from forming a plurality of indentations in the bearing surface 72 of the lower bearing race 63 when the bobbin holder is not in use for a sustained period of time,

the bearing surface 72 is formed with a sufficient width perpendicular to the direction of motion of the ball bearings 64 along the bearing surface 72 to engage approximately degrees of the circumference of each of the plurality of ball bearings 64. Thus, the weight of the outer shell 15 causing the ball bearings 64 to press downward against the bearing surface 72 of the lower bearing race 63 is distributed over a substantial surface, and it has been found that this will prevent the ball bearings 64 from forming indentations in the bearing surface 72 of the lower bearing race 63. The bearing surface 74 of the upper bearing race 65 is shaped in a similar manner so that the weight of the outer shell 15 is distributed across a substantial surface of each of the plurality of ball bearings 64 and it has been found that this distribution of the weight of the outer shell 15 aids in preventing any tendency of the ball bearings 64 to for-m indentations in the bearing surface 72 of the lower bearing race 65.

Upward motion of the outer shell 15 causes motion of the outer shell 15 relative to the button 62 since the shaft 61 is fixed in position in a creel rail or creel board (not shown). The result is that the button 62 is engaged by a thrust plate 75 having a plug 76 inserted into a hole 77 at the upper end of the upper cavity 21 of the outer shell 15. The thrust plate 75 is of resilient material such as any of the pliable but relatively tough plastics and has a concave surface 7 8 shaped to receive the convex lower surface of the button 62. The result of this arrangement is that the upward thrust of the outer shell 15 is distributed over the entire concave surface of the thrust plate 75 and is absorbed by the thrust plate 75. It has been found that this arrangement substantially reduces the mechanical shock to the bobbin holder and appreciably extends the life of the bobbin holder.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed as our invention is:

1. A holder for a bobbin, said holder comprising a tubular member having apertures; a catch member rotatable in the tubular member about an axis and having a bobbin holding position in which it extends through the said apertures and a bobbin releasing position in which it does not extend through the apertures; a ratchet member rotatable within the tubular member with the catch member laterally offset from said catch member and the apertures of said tubular member and having a plurality of flat surfaces displaced from the axis of rotation of the catch member; positioning means for restricting the rotation of the ratchet member by resiliently pressing inwardly against a flat surface of the ratchet member; rotating means for overcoming the resiliency of the positioning means and rotating the ratchet member in response to upward motion of a bobbin along the tubular member; and locking means for preventing rotation of the catch member except when a bobbin is moved upward along the tubular member.

2. A holder for a bobbin, said holder comprising a tubular member having apertures; a catch member rotatable in the tubular member about an axis and having a bobbin holding position in which it extends through the said apertures and a bobbin releasing position; a ratchet member laterally offset from said catch member and the apertures of said tubular member within the tubular 7 member and rotatable with the catch member, said ratchet member having a plurality of fiat surfaces on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the catch member; positioning means for restricting the rotation of the ratchet member by resiliently pressing inwardly against fiat surfaces of the ratchet member on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the catch member; rotating means for overcoming the resiliency of the positioning means and rotating the ratchet member in response to upward motion of a bobbin along the tubular member; and locking means for preventing motion of the positioning means away from the axis of rotation of the catch member except when a bobbin is moved upward along the tubular member.

3. A bobbin holder comprising a tubular member having apertures and slots therein; a catch member rotatable within the tubular member, said catch member having an elongated axis, a bobbin holding position in which it projects through the said apertures with its elongated axis substantially horizontal, and a bobbin releasing position in which its elongated axis is substantially parallel to the centerline of the tubular member; a block slidably movable within the tubular member above the catch member and having tabs extending through said slots; a collar slidably movable along the tubular member and having recesses into which the tabs are inserted; a ratchet plate operatively connected to and rotatable with the catch member, said ratchet plate having opposite sides substantially parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in bobbin holding position and opposite sides substantially parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in bobbin releasing position and said ratchet plate having nubs adjacent to corners formed by the said sides; a pair of prongs slidably movable with the block and extending from the block substantially parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member on opposite sides of the ratchet plate, said prongs being resiliently urged toward each other and one of said prongs having a hook at its lower end positioned to engage one of the nubs as the prongs move upward with the block; a pair of lugs positioned adjacent to the lower ends of the said prongs when the said lower ends are below the ratchet plate, said lugs serving to prevent the said prongs from moving away from each other.

4. A bobbin holder comprising a tubular member having apertures and slots therein; a catch member rotatable within the tubular member, said catch. member having a bobbin holding position in which it projects through the said apertures and a bobbin releasing position; a block slidably movable within said tubular member above the catch member and having tabs extending through said slots; a collar slidably movable along the tubular member and having recesses into which the tabs are inserted; a generally rectangular ratchet plate operatively connected to and rotatable with the catch member, said ratchet plate having a side substantially parallel to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in the bobbin holding position and a side substantially parallel to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in the bobbin releasing position and said ratchet plate having nubs adjacent to the lower ends of the said sides; and a prong confined within said tubular member slidably movable with the block and resiliently pressing against one of said sides of the ratchet plate, said prong having a hook at its lower end position to engage a nub as the prong moves upward within the block.

5. In a bobbin holder having a tubular member and a catch member which rotates between a bobbin holding position and a bobbin releasing position, an operating means comprising 'a ratchet plate within the tubular member adapted to rotate the catch member between its bobbin holding position and its bobbin releasing position by rotation of the ratchet plate, said ratchet plate having a first position when the catch member is in the bobbin holding position and a second position when the catch member is in the bobbin releasing position; a pair of prongs on opposite sides of the ratchet plate and resiliently squeezing the ratchet plate, said prongs being movable upward within the tubular member in response to upward motion of a bobbin along the tubular member and one of aid prongs having means for alternately rotating the ratchet plate into its first position and into its second position as the said prongs move upward; a spring within the tubular member arranged to move the prongs into a downward position after upward motion; and inwardly projecting locking means within said tubular member for preventing the prongs from spreading when the prongs are in the said downward position.

6. In a bobbin holder having a tubular member and a catch member which rotates between a bobbin holding position and a bobbin releasing position, an operating means comprising a ratchet plate within the tubular member adapted to rotate the catch member between its bobbin holding position and its bobbin releasing position by rotation of the ratchet plate in a single rotational direction, said ratchet plate having a first position when the catch member is in the bobbin holding position and a second position when the catch member is in the bobbin releasing position; a pair of resilient prongs on opposite sides of the ratchet plate and arranged to resist rotation of the ratchet plate by tending to move together, said prongs being movable upward within the tubular member in response to upward motion of a bobbin along the tubular member and one of said prongs having means for alternately rotating the ratchet plate into its first position and into its second position as the said prongs move upward; a spring Within the tubular member arranged to move the prongs into a downward position after upward motion; and inwardly projecting locking means within said tubular member for preventing the prongs from spreading when the prongs are in the said downward position.

7. In a bobbin holder for rotatably suspending a bobbin from a supporting structure by inserting a tubular body into the bobbin, a suspension assembly for the tubular body comprising an upper bearing race from which the tubular body is fixedly suspended; a bolt, a lower bearing race resting upon the lower end of the bolt which has a convex lowermost surface and has its upper end fixedly attached to the said structure, said lower bearing race and the upper bearing race being shaped to engage each of a plurality of ball bearings along a line of contact; and a thrust plate of resilient material positioned at the upper end of the tubular body beneath the convex surface of the bolt, said thrust plate having a concave surface shaped to engage the covex surface of the bolt \vhlen the tubular body moves upward relative to the 8. In a bobbin holder for rotatably suspending a bobbin from 'a supporting structure by inserting a tubular body into the bobbin, a suspension assembly for the tubular body comprising an upper bearing race from which the tubular body is suspended; a bolt, a lower bearing race resting upon the lower end of the bolt which has a lowermost surface and its upper end attached to the said structure, said lower bearing race and the upper bearing race being shaped so that each engages each of a plurality of ball bearings along a substantial line of contact; and a thrust plate of resilient material positioned at the upper end of the tubular body beneath the.

lower end of the bolt, said thrust plate having a surface shaped to engage a substantial portion of the lowermost surface of the bolt when the tubular body moves upward relative to the bolt.

9. In a bobbin holder for rotatably suspending a bobbin from a supporting structure by inserting a tubular body into the bobbin, a suspension assembly for the tubular body comprising an upper bearing race from which the tubular body is suspended; a bolt, a lower bearing race resting upon the lower end of the bolt having its upper end attached to the said structure, said lower bearing race and the upper bearing race being shaped to engage each of a plurality of ball bearings along a line of contact of substantial length; and a thrust plate of resilient material positioned at the upper end of the tubular body beneath the lower end of the bolt, said thrust plate having a surface shaped to engage a substantial portion of the lower surface of the bolt when the tubular body moves upward relative to the bolt.

10. In a bobbin holder for rotatably suspending a bobbin from a supporting structure by inserting a tubular body into the bobbin, a suspension assembly for the tubular body comprising an upper bearing race from which the tubular body is suspended; a bolt, a lower hearing race resting upon the lower end of the bolt having its upper end attached to the said structure, said lower bearing race and the upper bearing race being shaped so that each engages each of a plurality of ball bearings along a line of contact of substantial length along approximately 45 degrees in angular relation to the axis of the bolt and tubular body.

11. A bobbin holder for releasably suspending a bobbin from a structure into which the upper end of a bolt having a lower end is fixedly inserted, said bobbin holder comprising, in combination, a tubular member having apertures and slots therein and a flange at its upper end; a catch member rotatable within the tubular member, said catch member having an elongated axis and a bobbin holding position in which it projects through the said apertures with its elongated axis substantially horizontal and a bobbin releasing position inwhich its elongated axis is substantially parallel to the centerline of the tubular member; a block slidably movable within the tubular member above the catch member and having tabs extending through the said slots; a collar slidably movable along the tubular member and having recesses into which the tabs are inserted; a ratchet plate operatively connected and rotatable with the catch member, said ratchet plate having opposite sides parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in the bobbin holding position and opposite sides parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member when the catch member is in the bobbin releasing position, said ratchet plate having nu'bs adjacent corners formed by the said sides; a pair of prongs slidably movable with the block and extending from the block substantially parallel to each other and to the centerline of the tubular member on opposite sides of the ratchet plate, said prongs being resiliently urged toward each other and one of said prongs having a hook at its lower end positioned to engage a nub as the prongs move upward within the block; a pair of lugs positioned adjacent to the lower ends of the said prongs when the said lower ends are below the ratchet plate, said lugs serving to prevent the said prongs from moving away from each other; a lower bearing race concentric with and resting upon the lower end of the said bolt; an upper bearing race concentric with the said bolt above the lower hearing race and having the flange of the tubular member resting upon it; a plurality of ball bearings positioned between the lower bearing race and the upper bearing race, the said lower bearing race and the said upper bearing race being arranged so that each of the plurality of ball bearings is engaged by the upper bearing race and the lower bearing :race along a line of contact of substantial length; and a thrust plate of resilient material fixedly positioned at the upper end of the tubular member beneath the lower end of the bolt and having a surface shaped to receive the lower end of the bolt as the tubular member moves upward.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,457 4/1904 MacFarlane 308143 2,408,674 10/ 1946 Noguera 242l30.2 2,928,625 3/ 1960 Fusaroli -242-l30.2

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN ST EIN, Examiner.

L. D. CHRISTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR A BOBBIN, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING APERTURES; A CATCH MEMBER ROTATABLE IN THE TUBULAR MEMBER ABOUT AN AXIS AND HAVING A BOBBIN HOLDING POSIITON IN WHICH IT EXTENDS THROUGH THE SAID APERTURES AND A BOBBIN RELEASING POSITION IN WHICH IT DOES NOT EXTEND THROUGH THE APERTURES; A RATCHET MEMBER ROTATABLE WITHIN THE TUBULAR MEMBER WITH THE CATCH MEMBER LATERALLY OFFSET FROM SAID CATCH MEMBER AND THE APERTURES OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF FLAT SURFACES DISPLACED FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE CATCH MEMBER; POSITIONING MEANS FOR RESTRICTING THE ROTATION OF THE RATCHET MEMBER BY RESILIENTLY PRESSING INWARDLY AGAINST A FLAT SURFACE OF THE RATCHET MEMBER; ROTATING MEANS FOR OVERCOMING THE RESILIENTLY OF THE POSITIONING MEANS AND ROTATING THE RATCHET MEMBER IN RESPONSE TO UPWARD MOTION OF A BOBBIN ALONG THE TUBULAR MEMBER; AND LOCKING MEANS FOR PREVENTING ROTATION OF THE CATCH MEMBER EXCEPT WHEN A BOBBIN IS MOVED UPWARD ALONG THE TUBULAR MEMBER. 